William e



(No Model.) l

W. E. DEPP.

- TOY.

No. 330,681. Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

71,16 .dttornayg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM E. DEPP, OF BROOKVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOY.

SPEIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,681, dated November 17, 1885.

Application filed August 14, 1885. Serial No. 174,385. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern..-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. DErr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toys, of which the following is a speeication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in toys; and the novelty consists in the construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention has primarily for its obj ect to produce a toy which can be manufactured ata minimum cost and of the rattler class, which shall be simple and durable in construction, give a number of sounds in quick succession and of different pitch, which will amuse and please a child, and which shall be easy to manufacture and effective in operation.

In the drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a toy embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another form of my improvement, with a series of sounding-keys adapted to produce notes or sounds of different pitch; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

Like letters of reference in the several iigures of the drawings denote corresponding` parts.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates my improved rattler-toy, which cornprises a base piece, B, preferably semicircular in form,and having a hollowed-out portion, C, to form a chamber, G, having a solid portion, D, at one end, which constitutes the sounding block or board, and its opposite end left free and open, as at d, the hollowed-out portion being semi-cylindrical in cross-section to conform to the exterior surface of the bodypiece B. The end of the body B opposite to the sounding-block D is beveled or inclined from the bottom toward the top edge thereof, to permit the free play of the operators fingers to vibrate or strike a key, E, arranged centrally over the chamber C', and preferably rectangular in form, the inner edge thereof resting upon the upper surface of the sounding-block D, as clearly shown.

The vibrating key is held normally in contact with the sounding-block D at its inner end by means of an elastic band, F, doubled upon itself and twisted, as at f. The elastic band F is preferably of rubber or other suitable material, and is passed around and entirely encompasses the body B transversely thereof, the vibrating key E being secured therein at a point over the chamber of the hollowed-out portion of the body B, as clearly shown.

The operation is as follows: The toy is taken in the left hand, the elastic band F twisted untilY it will hold the key E under the proper tension on the sounding-block D, when the outer end of the key is depressed until the end strikes against the upper edge of the bottom of the chamber C, when the key is released, thus allowing the inner end of the key to strike against the sounding-block D, thus giving forth the sound, and by operating or depressing the key in quick succession, which can be readily done by using the ngers of the right hand, a quick succession or series of sounds is produced, which will attract the attention and amuse a child.

'Ihe vibrations of sound,caused by the outer end of the lever striking the outer edge of the chamber C,are conveyed or deflected into said chamber and thence join the vibrations from the sounding-block D, thus increasing the effectiveness of the device, and by causing the key to rapidly strike the body B at each end thereof, as described, the effectiveness of the device is still further increased.

In Figs. 3 and 4. I show aseries of soundingblocks, D, a series of chambers, C', separated from each other by intermediate dividing-walls or partitionsi, and a series of vibrating keys, E, which are of different thickness, to produce sounds or notes of different pitch and in consonance with each other.

The operation and advantages of this construction will be readily perceived from the foregoing description. The keys E may be mounted on a common elastic band, F, extending the length of the device, or on separate independent bands, as preferred.

The device can be made of any material; but for cheapness, economy, and ease of manufacture I prefer to use wood.

In order to define the nature and scope of my invention, I would state that heretofore it has been proposed to provide a toy having a hollow body-piece and a sounding-piece, an elastic band embracing said body-piece, a series of keys mounted in said band and kept normally out of contact with and below the plane of the sounding-piece, against which it strikes, and a ratchet-wheel to each vibrating key, said ratchet being mounted on a shaft bearing in the side walls of the hollow bodypiece and having a crank for its convenient operation.

My invention differs from this in the fact that I dispense with the ratchet-wheel and shaft and vibrate the key or keys by the hand. rIhe advantage resulting from this arrangement is that greater control over the key or keys is secured, the said key or keys being operated to play a tune by being operated directly by the hand. The outer'ond of the hollow body-piece is rounded and beveled inwardly to permit the device to be firmly grasped by the operators band and the free play of his ingers to operate the key, which latter has a beveled outer end arranged beyond the flared end of the body-piece, and is maintained normally in contact with the soundingboard at its inner end by means of the elastic band.

Vhen' a series of keys are employed, the sounding chambers and boards are separated from each other by the intervening partitions, and each key then produces its characteristic sound7 and the keys are of Varying thicknesses to produce such a sound, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

l. A toy comprising a body-piece having a semi-cylindrical hollowed-out body, with an inwardly-flared outer end and a sounding block or board, and elastic bearing inclosing said body-piece, and a vibrating key mounted in said elastic bearing and normally maintained in Contact with the sounding-board thereby, the outer end of said key being beveled and projecting beyond the flared edge of the body-piece7 whereby the key is brought under direct control of the operators fingers and the free play of said ngers permitted, as set forth.

2. An improved rattler toy, comprising a body-piece having a series of sounding blocks or boards and a series of sounding-chambers separated from each other by intervening partitions C2, an elastic bearing encompassing said chambers, and a series of vibrating keys mounted in said bearing and of varying thicknesses, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAML. CHAMBERS, H. W. MUNDORFF. 

